Uncharted Waters
by Lilith Knight
Summary: Love is never simple, but some times it's more complicated than others. JackElizabethWill [ON HIATUS]
1. Thoughts and Things Unsaid

Title: Uncharted Waters  
  
Author: Lilith Knight  
  
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl or any of the characters therein. *smirks* I wouldn't be at all adverse to borrowing Jack for a few hours though.  
  
Summary: Love is never simple, but some times it's more complicated than others. (Jack/Elizabeth/Will.)   
  
Rating: R. There will be swearing and violence and sex. *laughs* All the good things in life.  
  
Spoilers: Well, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, obviously.  
  
Feedback: I'm terribly lazy. Reviews are encouragement. If you want more chapters... It only takes a few moments to click the button and leave a few words.  
  
Comments: In my opinion, there aren't nearly enough fics with this threesome. This is my contribution.  
  
Dedication: To everyone who saw the movie and fell in love with it.  
  
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It had been six months since Jack Sparrow had almost met his death at the gallows, saved only by the timely intervention of an idealistic young blacksmith and his love, and he was happier than he could remember being in a very long time. After ten long years he had the Black Pearl back and, though it had taken some work, she was as good as new.  
  
The loss of the Interceptor had left the Navy with nothing that could even come remotely close to catching her... a fact Jack was certain galled Norrington to no end. Especially considering the raids he and his crew had been making on merchant ships all over the Caribbean and beyond. The thought caused a small smile to pull at his lips.  
  
His dark eyes swept across the deck, missing nothing. His crew was a hard-working lot, and there wasn't a single one he wouldn't trust at his back. He was taking no chances on a repeat of Barbossa's treachery. It was a lesson he had learned the hard way.   
  
Still, he wasn't entirely content, and it was vexing. He had his ship, his freedom, and the entire ocean before him, not to mention the rather large stash of rum in his quarters. What more could he possibly want? That was the question, wasn't it? He stared out into the cloudless sky and blue waters surrounding him without really seeing any of it.  
  
More and more, he found his thoughts straying to a young couple in a place that had nearly meant his death. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann in Port Royal. 'Perhaps, I should pay them a visit.' Without his knowledge a devilish grin crept onto his features.   
  
Gibbs sighed, having seen the expression. When Jack got that look on his face it never meant any good for anyone.  
  
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Elsewhere, quite a distance away, on land, Will Turner was in the dimly lit workshop next to his house, laboring on one of his many commissions. Word had eventually gotten around as that he'd been the real talent in Brown's forge and business was good... for him at least. His former teacher, Brown, could often be found in a nearby tavern cursing him, loudly, for his success.  
  
The hammer came down against the anvil with a final clang before Will set it aside and doused the glowing metal in a bucket of water. An angry hissing sound and then the piece of iron that would eventually become a sword could be set aside for the moment. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stretched before turning and walking out into the bright afternoon sun. Wincing at the light he shielded his eyes and began making his way up to the house.   
  
A glimmer of sparkling blue caught his attention and he paused, turning to look at the sea. It really was beautiful. His thoughts then turned from the sea to a certain man who was likely sailing it this very moment. Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
The last they'd seen of him he'd been sailing away on the Black Pearl. It was not, however, the last they'd heard of him. Jack's exploits were becoming something of a legend. The rumors about him that had made their way back to Port Royal were shocking, outlandish, and just this side of believable. More than a few weren't repeatable in polite company. Knowing Jack, there was also more than likely a good bit of truth to them.  
  
Will shook his head. He hated to admit it but he missed the flamboyant pirate. Life wasn't nearly as exciting without him around, but, on the other hand, there weren't people trying to kill him every few minutes, either. Still, he found himself feeling a wistful sort of longing for Jack's brazen remarks and engaging personality. During their time together he'd grown to like the man, despite himself, and the people he knew in town now dulled in comparison.  
  
Sometimes he wondered if the time he and Elizabeth had spent on the sea, and with Jack, had ruined them for this life, left them bereft, yearning for something that they couldn't find the words to describe, but needed as much as water or air.  
  
He knew that such musings were useless, however. They had each other and if their life was rather unexceptional, well, they were hardly alone.   
  
Taking his gaze from the sea, he started again toward his home and his wife, Elizabeth, the love of his life. She made it difficult to be anything less than happy when he was with her, and whatever vague stirrings of dissatisfaction that arose when he was alone quieted in her presence. His quickened his steps.  
  
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Elizabeth glanced at the clock that leaned against the wall. In a few minutes Will would be coming inside for lunch. Today it was roast chicken and some ripe, sliced tomatoes. She'd just set the plates and silverware on the table when she heard the door open and the quiet thuds of Will's boots as he made his way into the dinning room.  
  
"Will!" She smiled brilliantly and embraced him, uncaring of the soot and perspiration that clung to him.  
  
He looked uncomfortable and tried to gently detach her. "Don't. I'm still-"  
  
"Must we go over this again?" she teased, cutting off his protest. "I don't mind a little sweat and dirt. Especially if it means I get to kiss my husband. I do get to kiss you, don't I? You're not planning to go back to pining for me from afar and calling me Miss Sw-"  
  
This time it was Will's turn to cut her off as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her ardently.   
  
"How was that, Mrs. Turner?" Will asked her, grinning when they parted to catch their breath.  
  
"That was quite satisfactory, Mr. Turner. Now if you're kindly release me, we may dine."  
  
Another grin appeared on his face, this one decidedly less innocent. "What if I told you I wasn't hungry for food?"  
  
"William Turner! It's the middle of the afternoon!" Elizabeth attempted to look scandalized, even as the twitch of her lips betrayed her.  
  
"That's never stopped us before. Besides, we can eat later." He nuzzled the area just under her ear.  
  
"Well, when you put it that way..."  
  
Several delightful hours later they'd vacated the bedroom and finished their lunch together. Now Will was back at work, and she was once again alone in the house, alone with her thoughts.   
  
There were many more things to occupy her time as a blacksmith's wife than as a governor's daughter. Her main responsibility was to take care of the house, and she found she vastly preferred it over the pampered life she'd led up till now. There was something fulfilling about seeing everything clean and orderly and knowing it was her efforts that kept it that way.  
  
Still, everything she needed to do had been done. This was unfortunate as, more often of late, with nothing to distract her, she'd end up curled upon the cushions of the window seat, staring out the glass at the glittering waves, and brooding.  
  
Something was missing, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. She loved Will, and their life together was more wonderful than she ever dreamed it would be. It wasn't enough.  
  
A sigh escaped from deep within, and she absentmindedly smoothed the wrinkles out of the simple cotton dress she wore as she settled herself. She looked out the window, and, for a fleeting instant, she could have sworn she saw black sails, but, no, that was wishful thinking.   
  
It would be sheer stupidity to sail into Port Royal on the Black Pearl in broad daylight, and, while Captain Jack Sparrow was many things, stupid was not one of them.  
  
'Where are you, Jack?' Elizabeth wondered silently. He could be anywhere really. When they'd been marooned on that island by Barbossa he'd told her his ship was freedom, and, despite the fact that he'd been terribly drunk at the time, she'd known what he said was the truth.   
  
In a way, she envied him. Though she was freer now than she'd ever been living with her father, the rules of society still bound her like invisible shackles. On a ship with pirates it hadn't mattered how she proper acted, but afterwards it had, and going back to her normal life had been like wearing a corset, painfully restricting.  
  
Her adventure had left her with a craving for excitement, something that had been largely denied her ever since. Shaking her head, she rose and turned away from the window, resolving to stop thinking about it, or at least try to. There was no use in dwelling on things she couldn't change.   
  
TBC... 


	2. The Plan

'He is completely and utterly insane. I always suspected, but now I know beyond the shadow of a doubt. My captain is a lunatic,' Anamaria thought with consternation but no great degree of surprise.  
  
Jack correctly read the expression on her face. "Come on, the idea's not THAT bad."  
  
"Aye, it is! You nearly hung the last time you were in Port Royal! Or did you forget already?" She couldn't believe he intended on following through with this. Then again, this was Jack.  
  
He grinned, not at all put off by her comments. "What's life without a little excitement?"  
  
She shook her head. "You're mad," she stated flatly.  
  
"You sail willingly under my command. If I'm mad then what does that make you?" She didn't have an answer to that. Thankfully, he moved on without waiting for one. "Anyway, it's not as if I don't have a plan to get us in and out unharmed."  
  
"Oh, you have a plan," she drawled sarcastically. "That makes me feel so much better."  
  
"I'll have you know it's a very good plan, but I don't think I'm going to tell you now that you've insulted me."   
  
There was a long silence. The rigging creaked. The waves splashed. Near the back of the ship there was male laughter, probably at the punch line of a vulgar joke. Finally she gave in. "I'm sorry. Please tell me your wonderfully clever plan." There was quite a bit of sarcasm in that statement as well.  
  
He gave her a look. "I'm not entirely sure that was sincere, but all right. The Navy isn't going to be hunting pirates in the middle of the night, which is when we're going to drop anchor, hidden behind that..." He waved his hand about emphatically as if that would make what he was trying to say abundantly clear. "rock wall... thing." Anamaria rolled her eyes. "They won't see the Pearl with her black sails and dark wood, especially not without a moon, and by the time we get there, there won't be one. We can send the longboat out to shore."  
  
He was right. It was a good plan. Not that she had any intention of letting him know that.   
  
He chuckled. "I told you it was a good plan." Seemingly she didn't need to. She hated it when he did that.  
  
Scowling, she turned and stalked away without a word. Every time she became completely convinced he was crazy he would do or say something to make her doubt again. Despite years of knowing him, she was still unsure whether or not it was an act. Regardless, it caused people to underestimate him, usually to their own disadvantage. He was a lot more intelligent than he let on most of the time and occasionally he chose to remind her of that fact. It always left her irritated because she, of all people, should know better.  
  
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Gibbs saw Anamaria crossing the ship toward him and away from Jack, who appeared to be highly amused. She most definitely did not look happy. 'I wonder what he said to rile her this time. She didn't slap him though. That's new.'   
  
Oh, well, he'd fine out soon enough, whether he wanted to or not.  
  
She stopped in front of him, hands on her hips. "Gibbs, has our dear captain informed you as to where he's taking us next?" Her tone said quite plainly what SHE thought of it.  
  
"No, can't say that he has."  
  
"Port Royal."  
  
That got her a raised eyebrow. "Port Royal." He repeated it as if he wasn't entirely certain he'd heard her right.  
  
"Aye."  
  
He thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. If Jack wanted to go there that's where they'd go. "Fine by me."  
  
"That's it?!" Gibbs winced at the sudden increase in volume. "This doesn't bother you?! You're not even going to TRY and talk him out of it?"  
  
"Since when has anyone been able to talk Jack out of anything?"  
  
"If we get caught-"  
  
"Jack'll have a plan." Her expression grew more sour if possible. "He already has a plan, doesn't he?"  
  
"Aye." She sat down heavily beside him on the crate. "It will probably work too, but tell him I said that and I'll cut your tongue out."  
  
"My lips are sealed." It was better to be safe than sorry. One never knew when Anamaria meant her threats. Some of the crew members had already found that out, each in different and equally unpleasant way.  
  
After a few moments she spoke again. "The crew won't-"  
  
"Most of them would follow him into hell, and you know that as well as I do."   
  
It wasn't an exaggeration. They were incredibly loyal to Jack, surprisingly so for a ship full of pirates. Then again, they'd heard the stories about what had happened to the last crew who'd mutinied against him. Not all of them believed, but it was enough to give any man second thoughts.   
  
However, it was probably less the stories than the man himself that kept their allegiance. Jack's eccentricities aside, he was a good captain and a fair one. Whatever bizarre and life-threatening situations he'd gotten them into he always managed to get them out of, and often richer for it.   
  
Anamaria snorted and walked off muttering to herself. "-only person on this bloody ship with a grain of common sense-"  
  
"You'd better not let Jack hear you talking about the Pearl like that," he called to her back. "You know he'll make you apologize!" She didn't turn but made an obscene gesture in response, causing him to laugh.  
  
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Cotton didn't normally have much to say for obvious reasons, and the parrot... Well, the parrot was pretty useless for the most part. Contrary to popular belief he had NOT trained it to speak for him. That was the result of too many nights spent in taverns with questionable clientele. Still, it was generally far too much trouble to bother correcting people's misconceptions so he let think what they wanted to.  
  
He was usually not included in discussions, due to the certain amount of "interpretation" that was necessary for anyone to converse with him, and that suited him just fine. He could get his point across when he needed to. Otherwise he was content to stand back and watch the madness that was life on the Pearl.  
  
Today, for instance, the captain had an announcement to make. Chaos was bound to follow, it was only a question of when.  
  
"All right, you sorry lot, listen up. With a fair wind at our backs I expect we'll reach Port Royal in about a week's time. Normally we'd be passing by, but I have some acquaintances there I'd like to visit. Anyone have any problems with that?"  
  
The crowd muttered to each other there was a general shrugging of shoulders and shaking of heads. If anyone had any objections they weren't speaking up.  
  
"Good. That's settled, then. Now, after we're ashore I don't really care what you do, just PLEASE try not to call unnecessary attention to yourselves. I'd rather not be forced to leave abruptly because someone felt the need to set something on fire, savvy?"  
  
TBC... 


	3. Awkward Moments and Dinner Conversation

It was early evening, and Governor Swann was sitting behind a heavy, walnut desk in his study, looking over some papers. They weren't particularly important, but it wasn't likely they would have kept his attention even if they had been.  
  
His mind was on his daughter and her husband. They had agreed to have dinner with him tonight. Perfunctory social niceties aside, it would be the first time they'd spoken to him since their wedding. Excitement and dread warred within him. If it went well, it could possibly mend the breach he had unintentionally created between him and his only child. If it went badly, she might very well never speak to him again.  
  
The words in front of him blurred, and he rubbed his eyes, feeling suddenly very tired.   
  
It was all his fault. While he hadn't forbidden her to marry Will Turner, he had, by no means, approved. It wasn't that he disliked the boy, or thought badly of him. He'd even given him pardon, recognizing that while he may have made the wrong choices, he'd done so for the right reasons. It was just that she could do so much better than a common blacksmith.  
  
So when Will began to formally court Elizabeth, he had subtly discouraged them from seeing each other. If he wasn't keeping Will busy with orders he couldn't afford to turn away, he was taking Elizabeth to social gatherings he now realized she had no interest in attending. Through it all, he'd made no secret of his feelings about the two of them as couple.  
  
All his efforts were in vain. In late May they'd made their vows before a priest in a small chapel near the ocean. It was only then that he accepted they truly were in love, and only then that he came to understand what his machinations had cost him.  
  
They hadn't told him.  
  
When he came home that day he'd found all of Elizabeth's possessions missing, her room empty except for the furniture. The maid was calmly wiping off the vanity. Concerned, he'd asked where Elizabeth was and why her belongings were gone. The girl had looked confused. "In her new home, I imagine, sir. She and her husband came in not too long ago to take her things." He'd felt like someone had punched him in the gut. "You didn't know?" He'd turned and left without a word, unable to find his voice.  
  
A soft knock recalled him from his memories. "Come in."  
  
His butler opened the door. "Sir, your guests have arrived."  
  
"Tell them I will be down in a moment."  
  
"Yes, sir." The door closed.  
  
Governor Swann let out a shaky breath. He'd had all the time he was going to get to prepare himself. It was time to face them.   
  
When he entered the foyer he saw Elizabeth dressed nicely, but more simply than he'd ever seen her. Will, dressed much the same, had his arms around waist as he murmured softly to her. Something he said made them both smile. They were obviously deeply in love.  
  
The two turned in unison upon hearing him approach, their expressions falling into neutral lines.  
  
"Hello, father." Her tone was polite but lacked its usual warmth.  
  
"Governor Swann." Will nodded respectfully.  
  
The older man suppressed a sigh. This was going to be difficult, at best, but then he'd expected that. Penance wasn't meant to be easy.   
  
He managed a smile for them, a hesitant one, but a smile nonetheless. "Please, come in and sit down. Dinner should be ready soon."  
  
They followed him into the dining room where they sat at a gleaming mahogany banquet table. The chairs may have been comfortable, but their occupants were not, a fact that was obvious to anyone with eyes or even an ounce of intuition. An awkward silence descended, and hung like a pall.  
  
"So, William... May I call you William?" He continued upon receiving a nod from the blacksmith. "How is your business fairing?"  
  
"Quite well, sir." There was a slight pause as if he considered saying more then thought better of it. "Thank you."  
  
Yet another oppressive silence was narrowly averted as the servants began bringing in the meal. Swann silently berated himself for the sudden loss of courage. It was ironic. He'd been waiting so long to apologize and now the he had the opportunity the words deserted him.  
  
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Estrella had been a maid in the Swann household for several years. As such, she had been privy to an abundance of information that was not public knowledge, and the fact that it had not become so was a large part of why she'd remained employed. She understood the value of a servant who could keep his or her mouth shut.  
  
Most of the others were the same way, and ones who weren't generally didn't last long. Still, there were certain things that couldn't be missed. The entire household knew of estrangement between Governor Swann and Elizabeth. Thus it was free to be discussed, in private, of course.  
  
"Rifts like that don't just heal themselves, luv, especially not over one dinner. No matter how good it is." The cook eyed the soup she was stirring critically then added some more cream.  
  
Estrella tried to hide a smile. "If you do say so yourself, Nan?"  
  
"Yes, I do, and don't sass your elders, child." The older woman straightened and tucked an errant strand of greying hair behind her ear.  
  
"Sorry." She wasn't really, and the way her mouth curled up at the corners testified to that.  
  
Nan gave long suffering sigh and glanced upward, looking martyred. "You're not, but, kind soul that I am, I won't hold it against you."   
  
The brunette rolled her eyes, but chose to return to their previous topic instead of responding. "So you don't think tonight will help things between them?"  
  
"I didn't say that." She paused and tested the soup. Finding it up to her exacting standards, she moved on to the leg of roast pig and began sprinkling some herbs over the browned flesh. "It might. The problem is there are three very stubborn people in that room and all of them think they're right. They might genuinely want to make amends, but the reasons they split apart in the first place haven't gone away, and that's going to cause difficulty all around." She lifted the tray and handed it to Estrella. "Here. Start taking these into the dining room."  
  
The girl nodded and did as asked. Nudging the door open with her hip, she fought the urge to shiver. The room was no colder than in the rest of the house in temperature, but the emotional atmosphere made the winters in England seem balmy in contrast.  
  
She set the tray down in the center of the table before returning to the kitchen for the rest of the food. A young boy of roughly eleven years, carrying a platter almost too wide for his arms, balked in the doorway upon sensing the mood of the three at the table. He was good child, and eager to please, but easily the most nervous of the staff. Estrella suspected his previous employer has been quicker to express his displeasure with his fist than with his words. She gave him a reassuring smile and whispered "Go on," as she passed. He shot her a brief panicked look but obeyed. Several more trips by both of them were needed before everything was laid out.  
  
When they finished, they went back into the kitchen, where the rest of the servants had gathered by that time, to eat their own dinner. She wouldn't be able to hear what else was said in the other room, but she'd bet the Governor and the Turners spend the rest of the meal pretending not to acknowledge each other's existence. They were good people, though they had their faults, and she liked them all. It was a shame something like love could cause such trouble. Still, though they had her sympathy, there was nothing she could do about it, and she turned her attention to the discussion that was currently raging at the table.  
  
A bit more than an hour later, nearly everyone else had eaten and dispersed, each going back to their respective chores. It was time for her to begin clearing the dishes. She was just about to push the door open again when she heard voices, and stopped, her hand still resting lightly on the wood.  
  
"I forgive you, Father, but I can't forget what you did. Perhaps, in time, I will be able to look past it. You've tried to make me live my life the way you thought I should since Mother died. Now I live my own life, with Will, and if you can't accept that then there's no reason for us to continue talking."  
  
"I HAVE accepted that." Governor Swann sounded both serious and distressed.  
  
"I wish I could believe that, I truly do, but when you tried to prevent my marriage to Will, KNOWING we loved each other, I lost my faith in you, and that you'll have to earn back."  
  
There was a short silence.  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way."  
  
"As am I." She paused for an instant before continuing. "I love you, Father. Goodbye."  
  
"I love you, Elizabeth, and though you may not trust me, I honestly wish you happiness, whatever form it takes."  
  
Estrella decided discretion was the better part of valor and eased away from the doorway. The dishes could wait a few more minutes. She only wished the feeling of foreboding that had come over her could be put aside as easily.  
  
TBC... 


End file.
